Universal Soldier: Rebirth
by MadameSkyfire
Summary: Set four days after Universal Soldier (1) - Just as Luc Deveraux thinks that its all over he is captured by another UniSol division. The leader of this team is Corporal Kristina Miller and she is definitely not his biggest fan. Can they work together to find out who they really are? JCVD & OC
1. Chapter 1

Day Six – Breathe.  
Day Seven – Feel.  
Day Eight – Remember.  
Day Nine – Destroy.

Patience, although a virtue, was still not my strongest skill. For days at a time I've been trained to sit still, barely breathing, barely blinking. It's much harder to do in a public place. So many distractions flooded my vision, I had to shut my eyes and steady myself.  
"G.R. Zero One, have you located the targets?" the voice spoke in my head, I resisted the urge growl into the receiver. "Negative, awaiting arrival" I spoke under my breath, looking down into the plate of slop that the woman with the notepad had given me.

"Hey baby, haven't seen you around these parts before. What brings you to this little cafe of wonders?" I raised my brow and turned in my seat so that I could see the man that spoke, as well as give the room a once over. It would seem that even my black fitted jeans and white singlet I was still overdressed for the hick diner. "Not much of a talker, hey sweetie?" the man was dirty, missing a tooth and fondling a thin stick between his chapped lips. His hair stuck out from under his cap in all different directions and badly needed to remove his orange and grey facial hair. The sheer smell of him made me want to-

"G.R Zero One stand down, G.R Eighty Three, get rid of him" turning my head to the left I watched as my partner grabbed the man by the collar and tossed him aside with a harshly spoken warning. Most flinched or gasped at the small act of violence, I was too preoccupied with the couple that had just entered the small restaurant to even notice the commotion.

"Target located, awaiting orders" I spoke with a crack of my neck, turning to take a sip of the black, bitter liquid and cringed. God that shit was awful.  
"Ok G.R. Zero One, just like we practiced"

"Excuse me, waitress" the blonde girl called out. She was what one would consider attractive, with large eyes and golden hair that fell to her shoulders.  
The 'waitress' waved her hand in the air "Can't you see I'm busy?!" she snapped as she leant in closer to Eighty Three who continued to smile and lightly brush her hair behind her ear.

The woman made a disgusted noise "Can you believe this shit?" she asked, exasperated. The man she was with simply stared at her, bemused. "I'll be back in a second" she said with a shake of her head, standing and walking towards the counter, towards me.

The woman behind the counter stopped chewing her gum and looked at her "What can I get ya?" The blonde leant beside me. "A coffee and a soda" before the words even left her mouth, the lady walked into the back room to fetch the beverages.

"I'm sorry" I spoke, turning to her "My brother" I inclined my head towards my partner. She looked at them and then back at me with a smile "That's fine, I'm used to it around these parts." she hesitated for a moment, tearing the corner off a napkin before continuing "Veronica" she held out her hand and I took it, shaking it with ladylike delicacy. "Kristina" "That's a really nice accent you've got, it's English, right?" I inclined my head, offering a smirk "Yorkshire" her smile turned into a grin. "Like the pudding!" my eyebrow twitched upward "Yes.."

Turning to face the man at her table, the wide smile never left her face "Luc, you hungry?" the smile on his face was all the affirmation she needed. I looked over at him and had to use all my will power not to walk over there and push a blade through his throat. "...You should never have gotten involved, Veronica" she gave me a strange look "My most sincere apologies" I said impassively before swiftly climbing onto the countertop and wrapping my arm around her neck and dragging her up with me.

Immediately Luc stood forward "Stop!" He yelled. Eighty Three reached behind him and withdrew a gun, pushing the woman to the side and aiming the weapon at him. I increased the pressure on her neck, her hands dug into my arm, her legs flailed. "Stand down, Soldier" I called back, holding my gaze onto Luc, my free arm locking her into place. He looked so confused, the bruises on his skin more prominent now I could see his entire face. Secretly they made me happy. "Who are you, what do you want?!" his arms were held out away from his body as he slowly moved forward.

"I wouldn't" Eighty Three warned, loading the gun. Out the corner of my eye I noticed a small gang of men lace their fingers through some knuckle dusters and advance on my partner. I moved my free hand to Veronica's shoulder, increasing my pressure until the sickly 'pop' echoed throughout the room. Her screams stopped their advance. Luc looked as if he'd go mad with worry, I almost felt sorry for him. "I need to hear it from you, Deveraux. What did you do to my husband?" I called out over the sobs of the woman in my arms. The look he gave was incredulous, clearly he was racking his brain for answers. Veronica clawed at the skin on my arms, trying everything she could think of to get out of my deadlock "He doesn't know what the fuck you're talking about!" She screeched, whimpering when she tried to use her dislocated arm.

My blood boiled, I could hear my heartbeat in my ears, drowning out the yelling coming through the small speaker imbedded inside. With one deep exhale I squared my shoulders and straightened my back. With my free hand I took the wire attached to the minute speaker in my ear and withdrew it, letting it fall upon my shoulder. "Sergeant. Andrew. Scott."

Luc's eyes widened at my words, his mouth fell open to protest. I didn't hear his cry, nor did I hear the dozen or so women that screamed out as I placed a hand on Veronica's cheek and violently ripped it in the opposite direction, releasing her and letting her limp body fall on the counter then roll onto the floor.

Eighty Three lowered his weapon, clearly hearing orders through his earpiece. Luc darted forward and scooped up Veronica's lifeless body and cradled it against him. I watched from above, impassively. Why should I care? Why should I feel sorry for taking away the one thing in this world that he loved? He did the same to me, sevenfold. I lowered myself to a kneel, watching as he stroked her hair lovingly. Suddenly I was jealous. Though dead, he still had the freedom to care for his loved ones body and what did I have? Andrews body was hacked up into a thousand fucking pieces, each and every one turned over to the Army. I had nothing. And now I'd take from him the only thing he had left. His life.

Placing my hands on the edge of the counter I pushed my body at him, landing a kick with my heeled boot in the side of his face. Standing straight, I tugged the hem of my singlet down and waited for him to make the next move.  
His nostrils flared as he crouched into a standing position, his eyes beyond angry. I smirked in response. How funny, I thought, he thinks he has a chance. He hasn't had the opportunity to properly cool down in days, within minutes he'd be on the verge of death and it will be by my own hand, the thought alone was delicious. Andrew would be so proud.

Luc bared his teeth and let out a mighty growl before launching himself at me. Swiftly, I darted between his legs and landed a sharp kick to the back of his knees, causing him to stumble but not fall. Recovering quickly he caught me off-guard, aiming a 360 crescent kick to the side of my face. Falling, he took no time mounting my body, pinning me to the floor. Repeatedly he started aiming punches at my ribs, revelling in the sounds of the cracks that followed his fists. He wound back to deliver a king hit to my face, I used the minute moment to swing my legs around and kick him off of me. Over and over I hit him in the face, in the neck, the chest, anywhere I could reach.

I pulled back my fist for a finishing hit when the intercom sounded throughout the cafe "G.R. Zero One stand down, stand the fuck down! G.R. Eighty Three, engage!" My body froze as though I'd been stabbed. What? Why were they stopping me? This was my revenge, my everything. Looking down at Luc's bloody face I felt defeated, knowing I was in no better shape than he. I was ripped off him and thrown towards the door by Eighty Three. Stumbling I managed not to fall and exit by my own accord, heading straight back toward the bus. I risked a glance over my shoulder to see Luc thrown over my partners shoulder, getting carried in the same direction.  
Maybe I would get my chance after all.


	2. Chapter 2

In the bus not a word was spoken to us as we were transported back to headquarters. Luc was still knocked out, yet all I did was stare at him. Battered and bloodied we were a sore sight. My white singlet stained crimson with a mixture of our bloods. I did hear from one of the guards that the people from the cafe had had their memories wiped by using tear gas and the 'special serum' used to contain.. Us.. I didn't want that for them, but I had no choice. I was given a mission and I had to complete it; even if it was cut short much to my displeasure. In what seemed like no time we were back at the warehouse, back home. I checked my 'watch' on my wrist, flipping up the false face seeing that my body temperature was running hot. Shit, nap time.

Entering escorted by two medics as we called them that we're waiting by the door I was immediately taken upstairs. The entire layout of our headquarters was open, every wall made out of glass so that you knew exactly what was going on in each and every room. Eighty Three dumped Luc in an empty room with no more than a bench and a toilet diagonally down from where I was standing above. I couldn't help but wonder if that was on purpose. I waited in place and watched as a doctor threw a damp towel in his lap and gave him a needle to wake him up which worked immediately. Though disoriented he was alert, assessing his surroundings, counting how many people he could see once he had wiped the dried blood from his face. Looking upward his eyes locked on mine. I felt an electric pull toward him and I'm sure he felt it too as he stood on shaky legs and walked toward the glass, unblinking. I assumed it was because of our mutual hatred for each other, we both took away the enemy's mutual other. And only one would come out alive.

Narrowing my eyes I was in my own world with him. Out of nowhere I was forcefully brought to my knees when I was hit across the temple with the handle of a pistol. I clutched at my head with both hands, heaving in breaths as much as I could until I was unmercifully kicked in the stomach, making me curl inward and cry out. I heard it echo throughout the room and knew that many would be stopping their work to watch.

"YOU STUPID FUCKING WHORE! WHEN I TELL YOU TO STOP" Sarge yelled, pausing to stomp on my already cracked ribs. "YOU FUCKING STOP!" He stomped on my side again and I cried out as I heard the final snap. He didn't hit me again, he just rambled incoherently as I continued to heave in air greedily and cough it outward along with several splatters of blood. At one point he picked my face up, using my hair and held a large serrated edge knife, still speaking loud enough to cause an echo, meaning that everyone would be able to hear what was said. He pushed the tip into my cheek "You listen to me you little bitch, you are disposable, you don't mean shit to me" I held in the urge to spit blood in his face as he threatened me "See this knife?" He made his point by pressing it into my skin more "Next time you disobey me.. I'm going to fuck you with this knife. And I will enjoy every fucking millimetre of it" he threw my head away from him and ordered two other soldiers to take me away.

I was thrown into the room in an undignified heap next to Luc. I didn't bother to even try and move. It hurt to breath, let alone try to sit up. The room began to drop in temperature as they finally decided to turn on the cooler; slowly but surely my body started to heal.. However it was shutting down at a much faster rate. I lost track of time, it could have been minutes it could have been days before my personal caretaker came to see me. Abigail was a sweet old lady, timid as a mouse and not much bigger in size. She brushed the hair away from my face and gently wiped at it with a damp towel. Opening my eyes I could barely see, my vision was blurred with what I assume was broken blood vessels. Slow as slow could be she sat me up and eventually got me standing on my own feet. "Oh Kris.. My poor girl.."

Gail was like my parent, the only other female at this facility and the woman that gave me my new life. She fussed over me, made sure I was fed, washed.. In every sense of the word, she was my mother. I had to lean against the back wall for support as she took out a blade and cut away my singlet and pants as well as removing my boots for me. My head lolled to the side as I used every ounce of energy to keep myself vertical. She had a hand over her mouth as she took in the state of my body. Majority of my torso was black and blue, blending with my black bra and panties that looked wet from blood. "What have they done to you? What happened?" She asked quietly.

I stared at the ground while I spoke freely to her. "I had him Gail.. They wouldn't let me do it." I spoke just above a whisper. "He killed my Andrew.." Looking over I locked eyes with him once more. He was holding his side, sitting against the opposite glass wall, watching and listening to us. Abigail looked between us, confused. "Who is Andrew, my dear? We never had an Andrew here." I looked at her in disbelief, my brows knotting together. "My husband" I spoke louder, though it seemed more like a question than a statement. She shushed me immediately. "How could they put you through this again? Honey, you trust me don't you sweetheart?" My small nod was enough for her to visibly relax and continue "They've brainwashed you my girl.. None of that is true, you live here with me, and have done for many, many years. Believe me" She pleaded, seeming like she would cry any second. An

armoured guard tapped on the glass "Get on with it, woman" he called, clearly he'd not taken note of our conversation, which was good for us. Gail started to wash away the blood on my legs, moving up to my stomach and back where she had to take extra special care over the broken and battered skin, then my arms and my hair. Once washed, she dried my skin, never taking off my last two items of clothing, though she did her best to clean them for me. Before helping me dress she blow dried and brushed my hair until pristine. Getting socks and shoes on was a lengthy task as I couldn't bend very far in any direction. I'd not spoken another word since she told me that my mind had been altered. Was that even possible? To inject ones mind with false memories, facts, hell even emotions? "Ok, pass in the MultiHeal" She said waiting for the man to push the metal gun-like contraption under the 15 cm gap at the bottom of the wall. Every wall had this gap, silly in my opinion, you let a lot of cold air out that way. Or was that the point? Make us suffer for longer.. Abigail held up the metal gun and checked the barrel, pulling out each individual bullet shaped vial just to be sure. Placing it on the bench, she helped me step into my trousers.

She barely got the belt buckled on my camouflage army pants before a loud bang came from the back of the building. I gently pushed Gail to one of the back corners as watched at the warehouse turned to havoc and turmoil. I didn't understand what was going on until I saw Zero Seven, Tak, take out the guard in front of my room "Corporal Miller, Ma'am, as soon as we find the controls, we'll get you out!" The dark skinned man winked before loading his machine gun and repeatedly firing at the lock until it broke open with a metallic snap. "Found them! C'mon ma'am, we need you" he managed to shout out before joining his comrades in the takeover. I lifted the fallen MultiHeal to my neck and pulled the trigger four times, tensing each time the thick needle entered my skin and expelled the coloured liquids. That thing always hurt like a bitch. Taking three deep breaths I could feel my energy come back to me, I could feel my open wounds close over and leave no trace of a scar and I definitely felt my bones push back into place and harden, stronger than before. Some asshole had to pay for this, and I knew just the one. I dropped the MultiHeal to the floor and looked over at Luc. He was confused, worried even; I shifted my gaze to Gail and exhaled "Stay here" I commanded pulling my camo U.S. Army singlet over my head, effectively hiding the bruises that had not yet completely disappeared. I took off through the broken door and looked up into the high office where I knew he'd be, cowering in a corner.

"Corporal, go, we've got this covered" another soldier yelled out to me. I didn't know entirely what the fuck was going on, but I sure as hell wasn't going to wait around to find out. Casually as can be I climbed the stairs one by one, throwing medics or cadets over the bannister if they dared get in my way. Oh it was sweet having my strength back. I inwardly smirked as I kicked down the door. Sarge was, as suspected, seated in the corner of the room with his hands clasped over his ears. Rolling my eyes I took his wrist in my hand and dragged him to the single window and held him in an arm-lock, pushing upward, threatening to break it. "Watch Sarge. Watch what you have created. Are you proud of your pets?" I cooed into his ear as he breathed with a growl, watching my soldiers take on his men without breaking a sweat. Setting off a few smoke bombs to lure the final few out. Many of my men were simply standing around with nothing left to do "You're all fucked!" He managed to ground out, I bared my teeth, lifting his arm and loving the sharp crack and pop that followed. Releasing him I leant on his desk and fondled the blade he had used on me earlier "Perhaps I should do to you what you promised me.. Fuck you with the knife and enjoy every. Little. Millimetre." I threatened. His eyes were haunted as I advanced on him and lifted him by the collar. Mustering my strength I threw him at the window and smirked as his body shattered the glass and fell two flights of stairs to the hard concrete below. Shrugging I took his blade once more and sheathed it, attaching it to my belt and descending the steps back to ground level.

I walked over to Sarge who by some divine miracle was still breathing and attempting to sit up. I pushed him back down with my foot "Tell me what I want to hear" I demanded, feeling far more in control and level headed as my soldiers surrounded us. Sarge's answer was a spit of blood on my army boot. I shook my head slowly and began to walk away "Boys" was all I had to say for the men to finish him. Brutally by the sound of it too.

I returned to the room that I had left Abigail in, only to find her laying in a small pool of blood. The colour drained from my face as I rushed to her side "Gail!" I called, placing pressure on her wound at her chest with dry towel, tapping at her face to keep her awake. Her lids were heavy and she spoke softly "M..my lock..er.. All your ans..wers.." A tear slipped from her eye as she gave up her last breath. I didn't know how to feel. I was lost. Numb. Most people would cry or reminisce in such a time. I merely combed her white hair with my fingers. Could we save her..?


	3. Chapter 3

I stood and Tak took to my side, placing a hand on my shoulder "Sorry Corp-" I held up a hand to silence him. "Line up!" I called. Immediately each soldier did as I asked, standing in one long line of pure muscle. Taking my place around the middle of the line I took out my new blade and held up my left hand "There's a tracking device under your palm. Take it out; crush it using anything other than your skin, or your clothing. This includes your boot" I quickly sliced the back of my hand open and dug out a tiny chip, throwing it on the ground. As if on cue about six men shot at it, all perfect aim, I smirked "Excellent" I threw the blade to the soldier in front of me and accepted my own gun from another as well as a handled metal box and a short one sided conversation whispered in my ear. Leaving them to it I made my way back over to Luc's room and let myself in. The power had gone out, leaving the cell unlocked and the cooler off. He must've been close to death.

He watched as I knelt in front of him and opened the box, revealing a new MultiHeal and an abundance of coloured vials. "Can you hear me?" I asked, receiving a small nod and a look of utter distrust. "Good, listen up" I began, pointing to each thing as I spoke of it "This is going to be your booster pack until we get to the U.S. Creation Station… Don't ask about it, I don't remember what it is" I pulled a face and have a short sigh. It physically hurt my head to try and think about these things.  
"Right well, this is your MultiHeal gun. You load it with these bullets like you would a normal revolver.  
Now:  
Inside each vial a coloured serum-  
1) Green for broken bones  
2) Red for cuts and bruises  
3) Blue for cooling  
4) Yellow for muscle enhancement  
5) Purple for sleeping  
6) Black for instant death

The black ones are up the top here, I suggest you never have one of these loaded into your MultiHeal unless you plan to actually use it, we've had too many good men die by that accident.. Can we get a change of clothes?!" I called out. Instantly they appeared at my side. I loaded his gun and held it to his neck, pulling the trigger four times. He cringed and let pout a sharp breath of air through his nose as the thick liquids began to spread through his body. I stood and stepped back "Hurry and get changed, we leave in a half hour" he gave me a look of hatred "What makes you think I'm going anywhere with you?" I pulled my blade out and slashed his hand, quick as lightening, ripping out the small chip, just in time as the flesh healed rapidly. "Because we're all you've got" I let off one bullet to destroy the microchip and left him to change.

We loaded the largest semi-truck with as many supplies as we could while still leaving enough room for 40+ grown men. I sat at a computer with Tak as he gave me a brief description of what was actually happening. My memory was so fuzzy it was making my eyes ache. He only gave me as much information as he could as his own memory was nearly as fucked up as mine. I was told that we were all split up into three different groups. There was the Alpha group of which I was in command – The Alpha's were the best of the best; the top soldiers in combat the top in weapons training, you name it. I couldn't help but feel the tinge of pride knowing that I was their commander that must've meant that Sarge was lying out his ass when he said I was disposable. The thought made me smirk.  
The second team was the Beta's, commanded by my right hand man Tak. He was unsure of their role in all this, but told me he assumed that they were called in when the job was too large or not as important to the army. He shrugged it off "We'll find out what this is all about when we get to the Creation Station. They're bound to have us all on file." I frowned. I didn't think I wanted my men to know about me, what if it was disgusting or demeaning?

Finally he told me about the rest of the soldiers known as the Gamma team. They were under the command of Ryu, a small American sounding Japanese man that moved like lightening. He was a happy young guy that made sure our soldiers were in good spirits for our long trip. His men were the 'disposable' ones that had minimal training.

All in all I was the highest in command at the moment. I didn't know how I felt about that. I was completely unstable and out of it. Eighty Three walked over to us cautiously "Medic Abigail's things, Ma'am" I glanced at the large duffle bag "Was this all that was in there?" He nodded and I pulled a face "I'll look over it once we've arrived. Take care of it for me until then" He raised his hand to salute "Yes ma'am" He spoke then lingered, I raised a brow "Was there something else, soldier?" I asked, standing. Eighty Three looked over his shoulder to Luc then back to me; his voice hushed "What of the newborns?" My brow furrowed, I turned to Tak "Newborns?" He nodded and lead the way into the basement which doubled as a massive freezing facility.

The walls were as solid as they can get, so I was unaware of what was actually going on until Tak entered a code, making the large, cement and steel doors open. Luc followed us down, choosing to stick with me rather than try his hand at my soldiers, even he breathed in a sharp breath of air as the lights switched on. There were around 20 men and women, wired into chairs, each of their heart rates and vital signs displayed on a machine to their left. I looked at Tak with silent questions while he frowned ahead, looking over the many computer screens. "They haven't been activated" he said, eyes rapidly reading over a file "They even have their original memories intact.. No wiping, no replacing.. they've just been brought back from the dead" I ran a hand through my hair "Then they are no threat" Luc said, his tone harsh knowing that he needed to get his point across. "They could jeopardise everything" Tak responded equally as aggressive. I held up a hand to the cool glass separating them from us feeling a pang of sympathy for the three women that sat before me. "They need us. They wont understand why we have to cool down or how to care for their new bodies. We need them too" I spoke the last part quietly, earning a suspicious look from Tak. "They remember what it's like to live outside of captivity. They'll help us reconnect with the outside world. It's logical, you know it is" Tak gave me an over dramatic glare with his lips pursed. "Fine, but if they turn out to be more trouble than they're worth, they're gone" I nodded "Prepare for reanimation" I said, my glance lingering on the three women once more before I turned my head and walked back up stairs. "Attach the second trailer, we're going to need it after all" I spoke to a random soldier who ran off out the front to tell the others.

I took a seat and placed my head in my hands. Christ my head hurt. I remembered so many things that simply didn't make sense while at the same time my artificial memories plagued my vision. How was I supposed to differentiate between what was real and what was fake? I heard footsteps stop beside me. "It would be wise for you to keep your distance, Deveraux.. I still have an unbelievable urge to rip out your throat" I warned, not picking my head up or opening my eyes. "The feeling is mutual" he said, his voice laced with acid. I glared and picked my head up. "Know your place Forty Four, I own you now" Standing up to him he was still taller than me, making it harder to intimidate him. He looked as though he would snap any second until a second bang shook the building, causing us to both grab each other for support. Black smoke filled our lungs and decreased our vision almost entirely. "Shit!" I called, feeling my way over to the loudspeaker, coughing the whole time. "Evacuate the building! Get the hell out, NOW!" I managed to shout into the microphone before that too, blew up, pushing me backward and mildly burning my décolletage. I winced in pain and waved my hand in front of my face, trying to rid my airways of the black smoke.

Luc roughly grabbed my upper arm and dragged me away, just as the last of the main computers decided to malfunction and self-destruct. He broke through the wall of black cloud to out the front of the building where the air was clear. When we were far enough away he let me go. I fell to my knees and heaved in the fresh air, violently coughing out excess black smoke. When it passed I looked up at him "I thought you wanted me dead" I spoke quietly as my throat still felt as though it were on fire. His upper lip curled distastefully "If I'd left you in there to die, they would have killed me out of principal." Glancing around, he was right. All of my soldiers watched us carefully, glaring at Luc.  
"Kristina, my little British poppet! You alright?" Ryu spoke with affection as he helped me stand. I gave him a genuine smile which made Luc's eyebrows rise in surprise. "I am thank you. Any casualties?" His face fell "Afraid so Corp. Four of the newborns were still attached to their beds when the back room blew. Our men are all fine, little burns or cuts. Much like yourself" He frowned at my slightly reddened flesh above my chest and my burnt shirt. I shook my head, telling him not to start with me. "Put the newbies to sleep and put them in the back of the truck with a few guards.. Load the men into the main carriages and blow the rest of this shithole up.. We're leaving now" Ryu gave a curt nod and ran off to assemble the men as I had asked. I placed my hands on my hips and watched as a few men ran around the perimeter with explosives until I felt a sharp pinch on the back of my neck. Out of instinct I moved forward and placed a hand over the tender flesh. "Ow!" Looking back I saw Luc with his MultiHeal. He walked towards me and pushed my hair to my back and watched as the blistering skin on my chest calmed and eventually healed. I stared at him with a mixed expression of shock, bewilderment and pain. He shrugged his shoulders and walked past me, lightly brushing his arm with mine as he headed toward the truck. I stayed where I was for a few seconds, still rubbing my neck before lightly jogging to catch up with him.


	4. Chapter 4

I sat at the front of the carriage, just behind the driver and looked over my men. I sighed; we were all lost. We'd been constantly given orders to follow for god knows how long, the very thought of having our free will back was terrifying to some. It was hard to cope. From near the back of the truck Thirty started the quiet chant.  
"March along, sing our song, with the Army of the free  
Count the brave, count the true, who have fought to victory"

More men began to sing along until the whole truck sang the words with nothing but pure pride.  
"We're the Army and proud of our name  
We're the Army and proudly proclaim"

They began to stamp their boots to create the beat to sing along to. I smiled a full-face, carefree smile and laughed quietly as they really got into it.

"First to fight for the right,  
And to build the Nation's might,  
And The Army Goes Rolling Along  
Proud of all we have done,  
Fighting till the battle's won,  
And the Army Goes Rolling Along.  
Then it's Hi! Hi! Hey!  
The Army's on its way.  
Count off the cadence loud and strong  
Two! Three!  
For where e'er we go,  
You will always know  
That The Army Goes Rolling Along."

We hit a large bump in the road which caused a lot of them to jump in their seat and irrupt their singing. "Damn it soldier! Watch the bloody road!" Ryu yelled, earning a rude finger from the soldier driving. Ryu narrowed his eyes "You, me, training room when we get there!" He couldn't stop the grin from moving across his features. It was nice to see them all relaxing, joking, playing games. The entire atmosphere had changed. "I'm curious" Luc spoke, sitting across from me; I raised my brow, motioning for him to continue. "What did they tell you about Sargent Scott?" I recoiled at the question, seeing the images replay over in my head. A look of pain took over my features for a brief moment before I shook my head and shot him a glare. "Later." He had a right to know, I mean it resulted in me killing his… But not now, not in front of my men. Saying it aloud would make them think less of me, I knew it would.

We didn't speak for the rest of the trip, we just pretended to listen in on others conversations until we approached the entrance. The soldier in the front seat, next to the driver exited the car and walked over to a large boulder which didn't seem any different to the hundreds surrounding us in this desert like terrain. However when he touched a certain area of it a keypad revealed itself. He quickly typed in the six digit code and returned to his seat, watching as the ground in front of us raised until high enough for the truck to fit underneath. Slowly, the truck descended underground on a narrow ramp until the ground was flat once more. We were home.

The abandoned building was top secret, not even the president of the United States knew of this place. It was entirely off the grid. It was very similar to the old building, but much larger and many more rooms to it, including what seemed to be bedrooms that were hooked up to the cooling system. A small, but definite luxury that many would be amazed over. There was little to no natural light, but it didn't make much of a difference, there was a never-ending source of solar energy powering the electricity for us, though we were deep underground. The panels above also powered the air filtration devices, placed all around the camp. We were in our own self-sustained world.

"Well gentlemen" I started, looking around at the facility, then at them "You're free to do as you please. Enjoy" A few remained where they were, but majority of them ran off for a look around the place. Surprisingly nearly a third went straight to the training facility to hit the gym. Eighty Three placed Gail's duffle bag in my arms and went off on his own. With a slow exhale I went to what looked like a meeting room with a large table as the centrepiece and eight chairs around the sides with one larger seat at the head of the table, I took that one.

I gently laid out each individual item on the mahogany table, taking care with both the electronics and the loose papers and files. Gail had left me a laptop, an external hard drive and a projector as well as three separate files. Attached to one file with a paperclip was a note that simply said 'The rest are at HQ', meaning that they'd have to be in some sort of filing system hidden here. She could have told me where. I frowned and looked through the papers noting that one was Luc's, another was Tak's and the last was Ryu's; why hadn't she given me mine? I sighed aloud and shook my head. Did I really want to know what was inside these files? Wasn't that a massive betrayal on my behalf? They didn't even know who they were, who was I to absorb this information before they did? I made my decision on the spot; I gathered the papers and took off to go and find them.

I was about to round the corner to the kitchen when I heard them talking "What do you expect us to do, soldier? Mutiny? Don't be so stupid, we need her" I heard shuffling, then a voice that I didn't recognise "But she's a woman!" A sharp punch obstructed this man's airways "Have some fucking respect, maggot!" Tak growled, I smirked and rounded the corner to find my right and left hand men glaring down an older solder from outside of my rank. "Gentlemen… I have something that belongs to you" I wanted to make this short and sweet so I could get the hell away from that other asshole who I'd love to kick the shit out of myself. I handed them the yellow files. "You found the cabinet already poppet?" Ryu asked, tentatively opening it and shooting me a glance, I shook my head. "No, Gail had them. I imagine they were the only ones back at the old warehouse… I'll keep looking for the rest later" I said, giving the solder a look before I left. "You sir, are lucky to still be breathing" Tak said just before I was out of hearing distance, his words made me grin.

I was once again lost in my own world, trying to separate fact and fiction in my head. Obviously I had figured out that this whole mess with Luc and Andrew was out of my control. Could I still be blamed for everything that had happened though? My free will had been taken from me, I wasn't thinking straight. Hell I wasn't thinking at all. So wrapped up in my mind, I didn't see that I was walking straight towards him until it was too late. I'd bumped into Luc, sending the papers flying and knocking me on my ass. "Corporal Miller… However did you make it to a commanding soldier? You're so clumsy.

Anyway, I thought the warning was to stay away from each other" He said slowly. I remained where I was on the ground, trying to finish that final thought, but finding it impossible. I didn't answer back to his smart remark, I merely picked up the papers, stood myself up and thrust the messy file into his hands. For the first time in a very long while I felt like crying. I could feel the tears prickle my eyes as my vision grew blurred. Shit. I hope he didn't notice. He opened his mouth to say something, but I quickly rushed off to the bathroom to.. What was I doing? Hiding I suppose.

I entered a stall and locked it, leaning against the door I tilted my head upward, opening my eyes and allowing the few tears to slip out the corners of my eyes. My emotions were shot to hell, I never cried, I never felt sympathy, fuck I never FELT. I just wished I could hit the reset button. I placed a hand over my mouth to stifle a sob. Get yourself together Kris. This was no way to behave especially not now. Now was the time to be strong, to assure the men that I was still the cold hearted bitch they knew. Was that who they wanted to know though? Don't be stupid, I scolded myself, of course it is! I tore off a piece of tissue paper from the roll and dabbed at my eyes as I left the stall and went to the wash basins. "Damn it, why doesn't the MultiHeal have a vial for this?" I asked my reflection in the mirror, frowning at my reddened eyes. With a few deep breaths I built up enough courage to exit the bathroom.

As soon as I opened the door I was tempted to shut it again. Luc was leaning against the opposite wall, glancing over the file. As soon as his gaze shifted to me I walked off down the hallway. He was the last person in the world I wanted to see after having a short cry. "Wait.. Kristina!" he called after me and I automatically stoped at the use of my name. I didn't turn to face him, nor did I look at him once he had caught up. "Where did you get this?" He asked after hesitating for a few breaths. "Does it matter?" I snapped then let out a breath of silent laughter and shook my head, looking at his confused face. "Go do something productive Deveraux" I said walking into the large meeting room I was in before. I sat in the main chair and glared as he took the seat to my left.

"Fine, I'll help you." He said opening his file and taking out four doctored images, placing them face down on the table. My glare intensified "You've no idea just how much I still want you dead, Deveraux" He smirked "The same goes for you, Miller. But I figure we're in this for the long haul, so.." My fists bunched as he made a piss poor attempt at my accent. "Listen Frenchy-" "Shut up and get on with it" He interrupted, clicking the power button on the laptop and bringing it to life. My jaw tightened as I did my best to hold my tongue. "Good, calm now?" He asked making my upper lip twitch. I watched as he flipped over one of the four photographs. It was a picture of me and Andrew. My expression fell as I slowly lifted the image and brought it back to me. Luc carefully watched my reaction. It was a picture of Andrew sitting in a chair and me standing behind him with my arms wrapped around his neck, kissing his cheek. "….I remember this day…" I said barely above a whisper, tearing my eyes away from the picture to look at the man beside me "You took this picture" That sentence seemed to physically hurt him.

"We've never met." He said calmly. I put the picture back down. "I know that, I do.. but.." I couldn't explain it. He waited for me to finish my thought, but when that didn't happen he flipped over another photo. This one of the two boys together. I gave a smile at this picture. Even if my memories were fake, those two were still friends at one point. Doctored or not, this image had legitimate feeling to it. Seemingly happy with my response toward that picture he overturned the third. This one was a landscape shot of the three of us. Luc, me, Andrew. I felt as though a red hot blade had been pushed into my heart. Suddenly all I wanted to do was cry again as the memories flooded my vision.

Flashback.

"Luc, take the damn picture!" I laughed as I wrapped my arms around Andrew. "I love you" I whispered in his ear before gently kissing his cheek. I felt him smile against my lips as the flash went off in front of us. "And I love you!" He shouted, pulling my body over his shoulder and onto his lap, I laughed loudly as he gave wet kisses to my collar bone. "Eww, please" Looking up I saw Luc pulling a face. "Aw, you want some too? Come here!" I grinned, holding my arms out wide; my body shook as Andrew laughed. He stood us up and held my hand as we walked inside the small cottage style house.

I sat on the countertop in the kitchen and took the camera out of Luc's hand. "Come on fellas, smile for the camera!" They both gave me a 'what the hell?' look which made me poke out my tongue. "Then smile for me." I said sweetly. Reluctantly they placed an arm around each other's shoulders and smiled toward me. When the flash went off Andrew rubbed his eyes. "Babe, don't blind me. I need my eyes for the war." I hated talking about the war, my entire demeanour shifted. Soon both my boys would leave me to fight someone else's battle. Andrew placed his forefinger under my chin and picked up my face, kissing away my frown. "Relax babe, we'll be fine. I mean look at us!" He flexed his biceps in front of me, causing me to giggle. He placed the camera on the windowsill and pushed Luc into place at my side as he took the other. "3..2..1 SMILE!" He called out, laughing for a moment before rushing off out the back to stop the dog from barking.  
"Take care of him Luc.." I said resting my head on his arm. He stifled a laugh "He's my commanding officer, shouldn't you be telling him to look after me?" I hopped off the counter and punched his shoulder, giving him the look. He grinned, taking the camera and wrapping his large arms around me, holding me to his heart. "Us three, we'll be fine. I promise" He said taking one last picture.

End of flashback

Subconsciously I had picked up the last photo and had been staring at it for god knows how long. "Kristina?" Luc all but shouted from my side. My head snapped up as I was pushed back into reality just in time to feel the small bead of water hit my cheek. Swiftly, I wiped it away. "What? …Sorry.." He frowned at me. I looked back at the picture, and just as my memory told me, it was a picture of Luc with his arms around me, the picture itself shot from above. We both looked so happy. "Maybe we should take a break" I frowned and put the picture down, flicking it in his direction "No, we've gotten nowhere." I told him as I plugged the external hard drive into one of the USB ports on the laptop. "And call me Kris… Please" I said quietly, clicking the device open. I think the use of the words sorry and please had shocked him into silence. I could feel the air of pity come from him and I really did not like it, but I let it go.

On the external was a file on each and every soldier, even the newborns. Everyone except me. What the hell, was I a ghost or something? A rotten corpse from the bloody eighteenth century with no background information whatsoever? "Fuck!" I growled, slamming the laptop shut and pushing it away from me. Luc stared at me with his brows raised, I frowned back at him. I leant over and flicked up his thermal monitor, noticing that he was on the warm side. I checked my own and sighed when I saw that I was red lighting. "Nap time…" I said walking out, holding the door for him to follow. "This is probably the least amount that I've wanted to kill you. I'd accept my kindness if I were you" I said after a few moments of him not following. Reluctantly he walked out and down the hallway to the cooled bedrooms. We didn't say goodnight or anything of the sort. We just gave each other a blank stare before entering our separate rooms. That night I had to shoot myself with my MultiHeal in order to get me to sleep. I was having nightmares, visions of horrible things happening to both of my boys…


	5. Chapter 5

I woke with a start as I heard someone bashing on my door. I rushed over and opened it. "Fuck sake woman, your newborns are going apeshit!" Tak said exasperated before grasping my wrist and pulling me toward the kitchen. I could smell it before we rounded the corner. We stopped in the open doorway and assessed the sight. There were two newborns tied to chairs, while the rest laid in a heap of blood and open entrails, My nose crinkled "What the hell happened?!" I asked aloud, more frustrated than upset. There was no way that newbs could be revived from that. "They were causing problems, ma'am. You agreed that if-" I held up my hand "Yes, thank you" I sighed as I looked at the other two. "And them?" The girl's eyes grew wide, while the man just sat completely relaxed, bored even.

"No harm from them. Though it takes a while for her to shut up" Tak said, sitting on the edge of the table and cutting them both loose. I shot him a look which he simply grinned at. "Tak.. meet your new apprentice" I said, motioning toward the newborn male. His mouth gaped open "Fuck no!" I raised my brow "Excuse me?" I asked trying my hardest not to smile. "Corporal" He began in a calmer tone "My dear, sweet, English petal.. Don't do this to me" He pleaded. I raised a brow to his nickname. "English Petal? Oh love…" I placed a hand on the side of his face. "You're definitely not getting out of it now" I grinned, lightly smacking his cheek. He looked devastated "I'll fight you for it!" He shouted. I stopped walking and turned back to face him. "Oh?" He nodded, squaring his shoulders. "Until the other taps out or is knocked out. Up for it… Ma'am?" I grinned at the woots an whistles from other soldiers, my eyes stopping on a bemused Luc for half a second longer than necessary. "Training room, one hour. No rules Tak… You're on" The soldiers laughed, patting us both on the back and walking out with him to watch him train.

The newborn girl and Luc were the only ones who stayed behind. "And they're all on his side because..?" She spoke, addressing me as I untied her and the man who swiftly walked out of the room. "Because this will be the first open fight we've ever had. No one to stop us when things get ugly." I said pouring myself a glass of cold water. "And they all want him to be in charge. He's a man after all" I said with a smile.

Luc shook his head "For a moment there I thought you were going to kiss him after he called you a petal" My face scrunched up "Noooo.. No thank you" I replied with a smile that I immediately replaced with a blank look. I shouldn't be smiling at him let alone acting nice! Or should I.. He hasn't done anything wrong. "Do I have to come up with a name for you too?" He continued watching me closely. "Tak calls you that, Ryu calls you poppet…" I couldn't contain the giggle, though I instantly regretted it. "They're just call me those things to stir trouble. Like brothers.. Besides, I told you yesterday to call me Kris" I added, hoping to hell that he didn't call me anything stupid like the other two.

The hour passed quickly and uneventfully on my side. I ended up making a small meal and eating no more than half of it. It tasted like ash, I needed to go to the grocery store and buy real food than this microwaveable packaged crap. Seen as she was the only one thinking straight I sent Taylor, the newborn, to the main computer room. Turns out she had a thing for hacking into systems built with firewalls that not even the most advanced hackers could break. Eventually I wound up in my chosen bedroom changing into something that would allow me to move more freely. A simple pair of black shorts and a black U.S. Army tank top and my usual heeled boots I wore when in combat; just to make things easier I tied my dark wavy hair into a pony tail as well. I glanced at myself in the mirror and shrugged, I never cared what I looked like, why start now?

I walked down the glass hallway and eventually found my way over to the training grounds and stopped in front of Tak who gave me a once over "Dayam!" I placed my hands on my hips. "No weapons, right?" I asked, clicking my fingers when his eyes lingered on my legs. "Baby girl, you already usin a weapon. Dang look at that ass!" Another dark skinned soldier said from behind me. My lips pressed into a tight white line before I turned to face him, swinging my fist back and hitting him square in the jaw. He fell to a heap on the fake grass, not moving. "K.O. Onya Corp! And no, no weapons" Tak said with a wide white tooth smile as another soldier dragged the unconscious man off the field.

I cracked my neck and stretched my limbs, readying my arms for a serious workout. Tak ripped his shirt off, revealing his smooth dark, flawless skin, blessed with massive Traps, Pecks, Abs and my god, those Lats.. It looked like he'd be able to take flight! Maybe this wasn't such a good idea after all. Then again, I have faced bigger.. He ripped his shirt into strips and wrapped them around the palm of both hands. I looked down at my outfit "Yeah, I'm not doing that." I said with a grin. He shook his head and spoke under his breath, tossing me the rest of his hacked up grey shirt. I copied his movements and wrapped two strips of material around my hands. Crouching, I was ready when he was.

At the silent bell, he lunged toward me at full speed, jumping and aiming an elbow for my head. I waited for the perfect moment to hand spring back and use the toe of my boot to kick him in the underside of the jaw. He staggered backward, holding his tender flesh. Once again I waited for his next move. Shaking it off he smirked while calmly walking over to me and aiming at me with a left hook, I did my best to defend, but he faked his attack and wend for an uppercut instead, once I'd recovered I laughed "Cheap shot!" I smiled. The crowd of soldiers cheered as Tak made his way back over.

I exhaled slowly but was forced to take in a sharp breath as a searing pain racked through my body. My muscles spazzing uncontrollably, the veins on my neck beginning to protrude. I was being electrocuted from the inside out. When the pain stopped I fell to the ground, panting. My heart rate way too fast. I could see black spots in my vision- then darkness.


	6. Chapter 6

I woke to a blinding light, making me tightly shut my eyes and roll over. My body was stiff and sore. What happened to me? Slowly, my eyes adjusted to the light. I sat up and looked around, confused as to where I was; I didn't recall this room at all. The walls and floor were padded, there was no bed, no toilet.. Nothing but what I suspected was a two way mirror. I scooted back against the soft wall and just stared at the glass, my brows knitted together. "I know you're out there, I'm not an idiot" I frowned when I got no response. My facial muscles felt funny as I moved them. My skin felt... Numb? What the hell, why? I glared at the glass as I got to my feet and moved so I stood directly in front of it. "Answer, or so help me god I will not be held accountable for my actions when I find my way out of here." I warned darkly. As soon as the words left my mouth the light in the opposing room turned on, revealing Taylor, Tak and Ryu all standing and staring at me as if I'd just murdered a young family.

"Ma'am.. We found something on you" Taylor started, then hesitated, causing me to prompt her. "I'm starting to regret regenerating you, woman. Spit it the fuck out!" I growled, banging my fist on the glass, making it quiver and split in one corner. She took an involuntary step back at the act of violence, making Ryu of all people stand in front of her protectively. "You had a tracker on you Kris. Now if you want more information you're going to have to calm down" My glare intensified. He wasn't shifting though, not until I took three deep breaths and relaxed my jaw. He nodded his appreciation, Ryu spoke next "When you and Tak were fighting, he gave you a wicked uppercut. You were completely spazzing out until you fainted. While you were out we needed to figure out what the hell happened, to stop it from happening again." He paused to hold up what looked like a tooth to the window. "It's a wisdom tooth. It's also a microchip, real old school Kris.." I looked at it wondrously then frowned. What the hell did that thing have on it? I felt around in my mouth with my tongue and screwed up my face as I tasted the stale blood. The door of my room released, allowing me to leave. Cautiously, I left the room, rounding the corner and met up with them. Ryu placed the tooth in my hand. "It's been decoded. Ready for view on your laptop." I nodded once. I couldn't help but feel a little nervous by what was on it. I held the tiny object in my fist and let out a sigh. "Do me a favour? Assemble everyone in the lounge room. We're going to watch it together." He looked at me incredulously, looking between Tak, Taylor and me. "Are you sure that's wise ma'am? I mean, what if its.. Bad?" Taylor asked in a small voice, tucking her bleach blonde hair behind her ear. I shrugged one shoulder "They deserve to know who they're fighting for." My tone sounded sad, even to me. Still, both the men went to round up the soldiers while Taylor helped me set up the projector in the sitting room.

I held the remote in my hand and paced back and forth in front of the white screen and jumped when the projector casted a light over me. I pulled my hair out of its ponytail and ran my hand through it as the men started to enter. Luc's eyes locked on mine, questioningly; I must've looked terrified. But I reeled it in as soon as Tak and Ryu came through the door and sat on the couch with Taylor who was manically typing away on the laptop. She gave me the nod and I released the breath I hadn't realised I'd been holding. "Ok Soldiers.. We're going to view my file together." I opened my mouth to continue, but nothing came out. I shook my head, flicked the lights off and sat on the floor, leaning against the coffee table next to the projector itself and hesitantly pressed play on the remote. The screen flashed and buzzed to life.

"Universal Soldier - Government Reissue Zero One" buzzed and blinked on the screen in black and white. The screen darkened before showing a torn up old photo of a beautiful young girl. Her dark hair in tight curls hung just below ear length sat flawlessly under her army cap. Though the photo was in black and white, it was clear she was wearing red lipstick. Her eyelashes were full, dark and winged on the corners, aided by eyeliner. Her blush intensified by her dazzling smile. The American flag, gently blowing in a false wind behind her. She held her right hand up in a salute, looking off into the distance with a glorious spark in her eye. This girl kind of looked like me. I sat in awe as the picture buzzed on screen then moved on.  
"Doctor Kristina Miller born February First 1927 York, North Yorkshire, England. Mother: Renee Sebel, Status: Housewife and mother. Father: James Miller, Status: deployed for combat. Enlisted November 1943 as Medic for the east quadrant."  
I rested my head on my knees. Born 1927? That made me 85 years old..  
"16th September 1944, the team in which Doctor Miller was connected with we're taken prisoner. Doctor Miller was ordered by her commanding officer to remain at the base camp. Doctor Miller defied those orders." My brow creased. Oh? I sat up straight. My lips parted as a broken, audioless video began running.

This young lady was yelling at a grown man who simply glared at her. When she got too close he backhanded her across the face, causing her to stumble. He spat at the ground and receded back into his tent. She glared at the fabric, holding her jaw momentarily before lifting a rifle off the ground and running off into the thick bushland.  
The video fast forwarded until a set time with a subtitle of '2 Days Later'.  
Half a dozen men broke through the bushland into the clearing of the base camp. Many injured, falling to the hard ground, knowing that they were safe now they were back in temporary home territory. The girl from before was the last to emerge. Her usual attire torn, dirt covered most of her skin, her tight curls drooped loose down to her shoulders. She was in tatters. But still she stood before her commanding officer, stomping her foot and saluting. The video shut off.

"Doctor Miller was then known to those six men as Corporal Miller until evacuated back to England as part of the injured on the 30th of September 1944. When well enough she and her small team of soldiers were brought against the Field Marshal at his estate in the countryside one month later."

A new video played, this one in colour and with audio.  
The picture began showing the young girl standing in front of her troops at one end of the room while the Field Marshal sat at his desk 7 maybe 8 metres away. "Doctor.. 'Corporal' Miller, approach" he called, she took large steps toward him and saluted when she thought she was close enough. Never looking straight at him. "Kristina, what were you thinking?!" He shouted, slamming his fist on the desk. "They needed help." She said in a sure tone which made him snarl "That was not your decision!" Her eyes shifted to his face "I was drafted to assist medically. I did my job, sir. I helped six soldiers come home, what more could you want?" She softened toward the end of her short speech. He frowned and rubbed his eyes. "You know that I am Comrades with your father.. But.. You've forced my hand." He looked back toward her men and nodded. Confused, she turned her head. The three guards on either side of the double wooded doors hastily moved behind the soldiers, lifted large blades to their throats and sliced from left to right. They barely had time to blink, there was no way they would have been able to escape. The young girl screamed with a hand over her mouth. Disgusted she turned toward the Field Marshal only to be met by the barrel of a pistol. "I'm sorry Kris.." He spoke quietly, lowering the gun to her stomach. She stood tall, squaring her shoulders, allowing her last tear to fall before he hit the trigger. Instantly she fell to the ground, unmoving.  
The video lingered on this scene before fading out. The room remained silent, waiting for the projector to play the next scene.

"Kristina Miller was pronounced MIA by the British Military, her body handed to the United States Armed Forces for the new Universal Soldier Government Reissue program. Thousands of soldiers who had died in combat had been scientifically worked on. Miller was the first woman test subject. Miller was also the first successful UniSol to be reborn on July 6th 1951. Renamed Government Reissue (G.R.) Zero One."

A single image appeared of this young girl, somehow different yet marginally the same as before the deadly gunshot. Her emerald green eyes darkened to a hard cold black, her hair loose and for the most part straight, wearing camouflage pants and a black singlet. This girl.. THIS was me. Her chin held proudly, her posture flawless, emotionally void, entirely robotic yet clearly made from flesh, blood and a beating heart.  
Short videos played of them testing my strength and stamina. Working out. Learning new combat techniques. You name it.

"The name Corporal Miller stuck with her among other newborn soldiers. She was known as The Renegade to most high commanding officers in the UniSol initiative. She was to be watched closely, earning her her own personal Medic. Miller was the first to undergo missions where she had been trained to believe certain events in order for her to go undercover, returning back to base nightly as for her body to cool down. (See file U.S. 068 for further information on cooling down). The Universal Soldier program expanded into two quadrants.

The video buzzed, hazed and crackled, seemingly skipping many major events.

"-iller was to be trained into believing that she and Sergeant Scott were in a relationship, causing her hatred toward Deveraux to elevate when she learned of his murder at his friends hand."  
My body shook. All this information was hurting. My forehead was now on my knees, my arms wrapped around my head. My stomach burned as if I could still feel the lethal bullet wound. I felt freezing, but my thermal monitor was beeping on my wrist. Tak stopped the video, standing with Ryu. "Enough for today.. Go cool down" Tak said ushering people out. Taylor closed the laptop and spoke in a quiet voice "Ill try to fix the video.." she shut off the projector and left. Short words were exchanged between Luc and Tak, the latter eventually leaving.

Luc took my shaking hand and stood me up, supporting my weight and taking me to my bedchamber. He laid me down and wrapped the cover over me. I shook against the cold air and curled into a ball, protecting my old injury. I didn't hear him leave, but I didn't check either. I don't know how long I just laid there with my eyes wide open. I have a feeling that I ended up getting a shot in the neck with sleeping serum. I dreamt that night. Of guns. Of war. Of blood. A nightmare of real memories that I couldn't wake up from. My own personal torture device - my mind. From that day forward I swore that I'd do everything I could to ween myself off the MultiHeal.

In the morning I woke to an empty room. Sluggishly I made my way from the warmth of my covers to the heat of the shower, taking my time washing my hair, brushing my teeth and generally getting ready for the day. I opted for my usual attire, laying it out on the bed and drying my hair in my undergarments before dressing and leaving my room. The hallway was empty, as was the kitchen. I frowned. Where was everyone? 'They're avoiding you on purpose' a small voice in the back of my mind spoke, making me instantly freeze. I bit my bottom lip; what if they all left? Just as I was reading too much into it Tak walked through the door and went pale at the sight of me.

"Uh.. Ma'am.. I didn't think you'd be up for another few hours.." I leaned against the bench and waved my hand in front of me, motioning for him to explain. "Well um.. There's.. There's no food in this joint" he spoke hurriedly and scrunched his face up in remorse. I couldn't contain my laugh as I punched his shoulder. "Asshole." I called after him as he made a run for the door. He poked his head back in "I aim to please." And he disappeared again. What an idiot. I shook my head and drank a glass of tap water. From the kitchen I could see into the living room. The laptop was still there. Was there more to that video? Was I ready to see more of it?


	7. Chapter 7

"Corporal!" I jumped, letting go of my glass, watching as it shattered at my feet. I swore under my breath and knelt down to pick it up "What?" I asked, looking up. Luc crossed his arms "I've been standing here trying to get your attention for the past five minutes. Don't use your hands" He said disapprovingly, watching the glass cut through my skin. I placed it in the trash and washed my hands. "Can I help you with something Luc?" I asked, exasperated. His head snapped around to face me. "That's the first time you've said my name." He said in a softer tone, making me look directly at him for the first time. My men had given him fresh clothing, cargo pants and a white singlet. I caught myself staring and turned away, hiding my face with my hair and wrapping my hands in bandages from one of the many first aid kits. "You've been out cold for five days. How are you feeling?" I gave him a vacant look. Five days? It felt like it too; those dreams didn't seem to end. I bit my lip as I thought about it. "The rest of us were out for three. It was Taylor's idea, to see if it would help with our memories. It worked for a large number of people. Myself included. How are yours?" Scrambled, I wanted to say. "They're fine" I lied. "Slow, but they're coming back to me." I think he knew I wasn't telling the truth. But he went along with it either way. "Now that a few of them are thinking clearly, the men have started working in the labs below to try and keep up the stock of the vials. Its exploded eight times since, but they're staying positive" He joked with a smile. I genuinely smiled back at him, he looked surprised. "Beautiful.." He breathed. I tilted my head to the side. "You shouldn't say things like that-" I was interrupted by Eighty Three who's name I learned was Jake.

"Either of you two found any money laying around? We're hungry as shit out here." We both shook our heads, making him shout out obscenities to the other soldiers as he left. "You know. The first time I ate out, I didn't know you had to pay. So I ordered all these things off the menu, then the cook came out and tried to fight me because I couldn't pay. It was pretty funny." I laughed at his memory and rand my hand through my long dark hair. His voice seemed distant as one particular memory flashed through my vision.

"Sweetheart, listen to me. The card has a massive amount on it. I know you're going to free yourself one day my dear. It's in the lining of my overnight bag, see? The code is 6845. Please be taking this information in Kris. 6845." Her voice echoed in my head. I blinked a few times and grinned at Deveraux. He shook his head "I don't like the look of that face. What?" He asked raising an eyebrow. "Lets go out for lunch. All of us." He looked at me like I was stupid. "Didn't you hear? We have no money. Do you need to cool down?" I poked my tongue out at him and moved throughout the underground house and into the meeting room where I had left the black duffle bag. I caught Luc by surprise when I reached over to him and took his knife from his belt. He was about to say something but I effectively silenced him by cutting open the bag and flailing it about until the small plastic rectangle fell out onto the desk. I dropped the bag and lifted up the card, pressing my lips to it. "Freedom." I smiled, motioning for him to follow me to the gym where most of the soldiers were. "Get in the truck, we're going out." I had a few questions thrown my way, but I ignored them, walking back to my room to put my boots on.

It was 1000 degrees outside, but we all acted as though we didn't feel it. We'd need to move our warehouse to a new location closer to civilisation if we ever wanted to fit in with society. Soon enough we'd be rehabilitated enough to move on from each other and find our families, or create new ones by moving to new towns, new states, new countries. The thought was terrifying. WE were a family. But if these men ever wanted the chance to have children, it would be the only way. I remembered Tak telling me of his wife and baby girl back when he was a newborn, back when he still had his original memories. I wondered to myself if he had those memories back, or if he was one of the unlucky ones who had lost their old life permanently. Looking around the truck a lot of the men seemed bored, but perhaps that was their appetite kicking in. We didn't have any food supplements left; this would be the first solid food we've eaten since becoming UniSols. I smiled to myself; we were alive again. Just like any normal human being, save for our body temperatures. Ryu caught my smile and nudged me, questioningly. I shook my head as if to say 'Nothing, don't worry about it.' He shot me a smirk and went back to his own thoughts.

My mind strayed to the video from the other day. Born 1927 eh? I caught my reflection in the window as we drove up the dark ramp. I sure didn't look 85. I wonder how they stopped me from aging. In saying that though, I didn't look 17; the age at which I was murdered, no I looked closer to 24, the age I was reborn at. I had 16 years of real life experience, but all this haggard training and war had aged me significantly. My body was long, lean yet muscled, well endowed if you will. Since being reborn my dark, lightly curled hair had grown from my shoulders down to my lower back. My face was impressive, high cheek bones, slim line nose, pouty lips, straight white teeth and the most amazing green eyes... Well they used to be.

The truck ride into the nearest town was painfully silent and frustratingly long. Some soldiers were so irritable by the time we parked up they were close to knocking each other out. A sharp smack upside the head by Ryu, Tak or myself effectively stopped that from happening. The few people roaming the streets stopped and stared at us as we left the carriage. After all, I wouldn't think this isolated town would get many outsiders. Especially not 40 odd army soldiers dressed to the nines in combat uniform which included a desert eagle gun that sat at the hip. I jumped out of the truck last and slammed the metal doors closed. Turning around, my eyes locked with a little girls, no older than five years. She seemed startled by me and hid behind her mother's skirt. The tall woman placed a hand on her daughters shoulder and looked me up and down disapprovingly before ushering her child ahead of her with her nose in the air. I raised my brow and shook my head, turning toward my soldiers.


	8. Chapter 8

"Pick somewhere to eat." I said, casually looking around the street. The men looked between each other like I was on drugs. Still, they played along, gravitating toward one particular diner. I followed along with a tiny, smug smirk. Did they really think I was that stupid? A sudden thought wiped the smile from my face. What if they think I'm useless after seeing my video? A scowl etched its way into my features as we entered the small cafe. Three elderly gentlemen sat at the bar and a young couple sat in the corner, far too preoccupied with each other's mouths to notice our large party enter. Making themselves at home as per usual, they gathered the rest of the tables and placed them together so we could all sit as one. The waitress, no older than 20 slowly made her way over. She was shaking quite severely by the time she reached our table, clearly intimidated. My soldiers joked and laughed loud and free; deep baritones mixed in with the most unnatural high pitched, piercing cackles. Cadet Flinders belted his fist on the table, making the petite girl jump, her unnaturally dyed red hair bouncing and catching the light through the window and gaining the men's attentions.

"Wow.. A lot of people here. Eheh" she laughed awkwardly, scratching the back of her head with her pen. Two or three soldiers wolf whistled at her. I didn't blame them. This was the first woman any of us had spoken to outside of captivity and boy she was pretty. Her cheeks flushed dark red, similar to her hair, but she didn't try to hide it. Brave. "What can I get you all?" She asked flashing her slightly crooked teeth. Without even looking at the menu I simply raised my left shoulder in a shrug. "Three of everything. That should about do it. And 5 of each of your cold drinks." I said with a smirk and a nod. She gaped at me before clearing her throat and biting her lip. "I'm sorry… I um.. Have to get you to pay before I put in an order of that size…" She said quietly, embarrassed by the café's slightly rude policy. I smiled at her and walked back to the till at her side, pulling the small plastic card from my pocket and handing it to her. Luc followed.

"Check, savings or credit?" She asked expectantly. I gave her a blank look. Whichever gave you money. The stupid thing didn't come with instructions, how was I supposed to know which option was right. I gave it a stab in the dark. "…Savings..?" it sounded more like a question. She pressed the button and handed the small machine to me. I dialled the number 6845 into the keypad then pressed hit the ok button and grinned when the screen flashed 'Approved'. Luc chuckled at my side. "Don't act too proud of yourself." I gave him a playful glare. "Shut up, these things didn't even exist when I was enlisted." I argued, giving the woman back the machine which she swapped with the card that I placed back in my pocket.

"You're all in the army?" She flushed again. "Sorry for butting in…" I looked down at my outfit then over at the lads. We all wore camouflage gear. Wasn't that obvious? "No." Luc said with a shake of his head. "Four of them were in the Navy and two were in the air force." Smartass, you know what she meant. She looked wonderstruck. I could have sworn she 'wowed' under her breath. But she covered it by excusing herself and going to place the order in the kitchen. I turned to face the men and smiled at the sight. Tak and Ryu were having an arm wrestle. Fun-loving and carefree; apparently money couldn't buy you these things, but shit, it has to help, right? A sharp crack came from their direction as well as a sea of laughter. Ryu was lying on top of a now broken table, letting out a stream of curse words and accusations of cheating. I frowned. Behave boys.

"Remember the last time you were in a café?" Luc asked in a darkened tone. My jaw locked as I looked at him. "I am well aware of what happened." My expression softened as I sighed. "I'll make it up to you" I spoke quietly, so much so that he had to strain to hear it. I walked back to the large table and sat at my seat. He followed and sat away from me, slowly engaging in conversation with an older solder named Keith. As soon as the food started to come out the table fell silent as they all scoffed down the homemade style meals. I shook my head, grossed out. Crumbs and sauces flew all over the place. We'd finished eating in under five minutes. That'd have to be some sort of world record. The waitress whose name I'd learnt was Jane, sat at the till and watched on, captivated by the rare sight.

Ryu looked up at her ever ten seconds or so, though he'd never admit it. I looked to my left and saw the broken table and frowned again. "Animals" I muttered, standing and walking back to the counter. "Want anything else?!" I shouted back at them. "Bring her back!" One indecently called back. Majority of them snickered, I narrowed my eyes and faced Jane, apologising when she went red faced again. I gave her the card back and told her to charge me the same amount again, but not to order anything. She had given flawless service and the food was delicious, plus, those assholes shattered a table. Reluctantly she did as I asked, although I swear she didn't type in the same amount. She kept thanking me and telling me that I had no idea how much this meant to her business as it hadn't been doing very well now that the country had fallen into a financial crisis.

I learnt that she was actually 27, though she looked so much younger and was trying to get into chemical engineering, but her family couldn't afford her tuition. She was so lovely even though the world didn't work in her favour. I was quite taken with her, yet I'd not spoken to her for more than an hour. Was everyone like this? I told myself that couldn't be true. Not if war and famine still existed. Still, the idea that there are people out there that can hold an intelligent conversation and speak freely without worry was comforting. There was hope for me yet. Lord knows I speak my mind. I'd have the scars to show it too if it weren't for the MultiHeal.

A largely overweight man came out of the back and smacked a rolled up newspaper against his open palm. "For fucks sake Jane, do some goddamn work!" Jane jumped into action and grabbed the antiseptic spray and cloth from under the counter; her eyes apologising to me over and over. "Sorry pa." She spoke softly, rubbing down the bench. I turned my attention to the fat man who yelled at her. He wore a blue tank top that looked 70 years old, stained and torn. His stomach hung out the bottom and over his shorts. He looked like a pile of vomit; and this sweet girl called that thing her father? "That's hardly the way to talk to your daughter." I said with a hard expression. My soldiers voices coming to a halt at the sound of my tone.

"No fuckin' slapper of an outsiders gonna tell me how to speak to that useless girl!" he threatened, advancing on me. What the hell was a slapper? Judging by his tone it wasn't a compliment. I'd be sure to ask Taylor about it when I had the chance. Before he got within five metres of me I was surrounded by soldiers. Nice one fellas! Like I couldn't have handled this one on my own, I inwardly sighed; it did make him back down though. "G-Get out of my café before I call the police" He threatened, his voice breaking when Tak gave him his meanest glare. I'm not going to lie; Tak was easily the most intimidating of the lot. Sure there were men bigger in girth than him, but he looked like he could bite your head off and shit out a puppy. I pushed my way back to the front of the group. "Should I remind you that we EASILY just paid your next quarter's bills?" Jack nodded in agreement. "It's hardly an acceptable way to speak to our commander like that, let alone your own flesh and blood." Jack was the other newborn, we'd found him very useful in the lab so far, he'd definitely earned his right to live.

"I'll deal with you when we get home." The fat old man promised as he looked directly at Jane before waddling his way into the backroom. Ah shit, we'd just created unnecessary drama for her. I'd take the blame for that one, but I simply could not understand why? I mean yes, women were expected to cook and clean in my time but it was always asked for with respect, not to degrade someone. Had times changed so much that women were nothing but lapdogs you could yell the most obtuse things at? Not while I'm around. I narrowed my eyes at the thought. Ryu cut the silence by speaking to Jane. "Why do you let him talk to you like that?" he asked, exasperated. She shrugged, still cleaning. "He was just showing off, he doesn't usually act that way." Her tone was unconvincing. An elderly lady from the other end of the counter let out a mighty 'HA!' and continued on in her Southern accent. "Oh dear don't be silly! He's always yellin' at you, callin' you names and such. How many times have I told you to get out of this town and away from that awful man?" Jane didn't respond, choosing to purse her lips and hold her tongue.

"Come with us." Ryu spoke out of nowhere. Our eyes nearly busted out of our heads. Hello! Top secret operation! Jesus. "If you want that is. We can keep you safe.." He added quickly. "You said you wanted to be a Chemical Engineer, right? Well we may just need one." He explained, more for our benefit than for hers. He did have a point. We didn't have very many men who knew what they were doing down in the labs. If she accepted I wouldn't object. Besides, if she got in our way a simple bullet would – NO! Kris for fuck's sake, stop thinking that way! I'd punish myself later in the gym for that.

Jane bit her lip. "I couldn't just leave him." She explained sadly. The elderly woman piped up again. "Darlin' if you don't go with these nice folk, I'll run you outta town with a pitchfork myself!" She said leaning across the counter and kissing her cheek. "We'll miss you Janey. No one makes a cup of joe like you do!" She spoke as if Jane had made up her mind already; I'd hoped so. "Thank you Darlene" She spoke in a whisper, undoing her apron and tossing it on the counter top.


End file.
